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The Weird Week in Review

Bear-safety Lecture Interrupted by Bear

Last Friday, Yellowstone National Park bear biologist Kerry Gunther and park spokesman Dan Hottle were being filmed by a CNN news crew about bear safety. While recording the segment, they spotted a hiker and a black bear nearby. The bear was walking toward the edge of the water, and the frightened hiker jumped into the water. A group of kayakers helped the hiker, Erin Prophet, back to land. The bear was minding its own business and did not appear to pose a threat. Gunther said the incident was only memorable because the news crew was present.

North Dakota May Not be a State

Looking at the fine print, 82-year-old John Rolczynski of Grand Forks, North Dakota found evidence that North Dakota might not legally be one of the United States. When the state was founded in 1889, the state constitution did not conform to federal requirements, which say the governor and other officials must take an oath of office. Rolczynski pointed out the mistake 16 years ago, and finally the matter may be resolved, as State Senator Tim Mathern has introduced a bill to correct the state constitution. The matter will be put to North Dakota voters in the spring.

Driver Wore Colander for License Photo

Citing religious reasons, Niko Alm demanded the right to wear a colander on his head for his driver's license photo in Vienna, Austria. He is a pastafarian, or a member of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. He was granted his request by licensing officials -but that doesn't mean pastafarianism is recognized as an official religion by the state. A police spokesman said that the pasta strainer Alm wore on his head did not violate any license rules, which merely state that a driver's whole face must be clearly visible in the photo. Therefore, a religious exemption for the headgear was not necessary.

Owl Leaves Perfect Print on Window

The bird had apparently crashed into the window of Sally Arnold's Kendal home, leaving the bizarre image - complete with eyes, beak and feathers.

Experts said the silhouette was left by the bird's "powder down" - a substance protecting growing feathers.

The detailed picture leaves the "impression" that the crash was pretty hard, but the bird left no feathers behind, and so was assumed to have flown away on its own.

Man Reports Marijuana Theft to Police

Twenty-year-old Max Fleck called Chicago police and reported that he had been robbed by three men who entered his apartment. He said the men hit him and his 19-year-old friend and left with two pounds of marijuana and a laptop computer. One of the intruders had been to the apartment earlier that evening. When police arrived at the crime scene, they found more narcotics and arrested Fleck on two counts of possession of a controlled substance and two counts of marijuana possession.

Town Sings Songs to Soothe Angry Elves

Townspeople in Bolungarvik, Iceland were upset that a new tunnel and avalanche barrier required the use of dynamite. They believed the explosions bothered the "hidden folk and elves" who subsequently began playing pranks such as rolling rocks down the hills. Seers asked Bolungarvik officials to apologize to the unseen spirits, but they refused. So, to placate the hidden people, who were never consulted about the construction, a ceremony was held and songs were sung. Heavy machinery was shut off during the rites, then crews went back to work on the avalanche barrier afterward.

Hiring Strippers for Funerals

One entertainment option for funerals in Taiwan is the Electric Flower Car, a lighted stage on which young women will strip to their underwear. The show is more common in rural areas, and the performers also sing for the mourners and onlookers. Reasons given for the strippers vary, from pleasing the lower gods or distracting ghosts to having a funeral that the deceased would have enjoyed.

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Also on Mental Floss:

DID YOU KNOW? Marlon Brando hated memorizing lines so much that he posted cue cards everywhere to help him get through scenes.
He even asked for lines to be written on an actress's posterior. (That request was denied.)